


Christmas Is Better With You

by S_222



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Cheesy, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree, Feelings, First Kiss, Holiday Sweaters, Hot Chocolate, M/M, Making Out, Mistletoe, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 11:14:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21968404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_222/pseuds/S_222
Summary: Lots of fluff and cheesiness featuring:- Reddie putting up a Christmas tree- Losers reunion at a bar- Matching Christmas sweaters- Mistletoe kisses- Hot chocolate- More kisses
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Reddie - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	Christmas Is Better With You

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone had a great Christmas!
> 
> Happy Holidays to you all!

It had been Richie who insisted on putting up a tree this year.

With Eddie moving in with him after the divorce, his apartment felt much livelier having someone else around and to share in the Christmas spirit with. Richie had always liked the holidays, but spending them alone never made the days feel meaningful. This year was different though, because not only did he have someone to create memories with, but that someone was also arguably his favorite person.

Putting up a tree together was also a great excuse to get to spend more time with Eddie. The whole thing feeling rather domestic standing in the ornament isle trying to come to a consensus on what kind of colors they should buy.

“Look how good the gold and pink look together” Richie dangled the two sparkly ornaments in the shorter mans face, waving them back and forth.

Eddie sighed, gripped his wrists and tugged his hands down with an annoyed huff.

“This isn’t Valentines day, asshole. I’m not putting pink on a Christmas tree”

Richie pouts, and reluctantly puts the pink ornament back on the unorganized shelf. “Fine you Grinch. But I want gold on it”.

After what felt like several minutes of bickering, and dozens of stares from random people walking by, they had managed to settle on a more traditional set of colors.

Back at home, Richie worked to string around the white lights while Eddie took out the red, gold, and silver ornaments to lay out in boxes.

“We should put the star topper on first” Eddie suggests, glancing over at Richie who was busy trying to untangle the set of lights. For some reason, his heart skips a beat at the sight, a warm feeling of comfort washing over him. It’s as if his brain half-expects to see Myra in the room with him, and each time that it is Richie instead he feels both a great sense of relief and longing. Lately he finds himself reacting this way, heart beating out of his chest and stomach turning, far too often.

He could remember Richie making him feel this way as a child too. Especially when they found themselves entangled against one another on that hammock, stealing glances when they thought the other wasn’t looking. It was the basic butterflies you felt for a childhood crush, except now that they were adults it was somehow amplified and felt more serious.

At times in their usual nightly routines, getting dinner and sitting close on the couch, Richie would be rambling about something he had heard on the radio, or some comedy show he had coming up, and Eddie would catch himself staring down at his lips with a strong urge to kiss him.

“Here” Richie drops the wires at his feet, carefully stepping over them and moves towards his friend. “I’ll put it on top since you’ll have a hard time reaching”

Eddie snaps out of his trance and immediately moves the topper away from Richie’s reaching hands, holding it behind his back. “You calling me short, trash mouth?” 

_Here we go_ Richie thinks, shoving his hands into his pockets. Living with Eddie has been a roller coaster to say the least. They bicker as often as they used to, and although neither of them would dare to admit it, it seemed to always feel a bit more like flirting than getting on each others’ nerves. 

“The trees like 7 feet man, and you’re like, what? 5’9 in heels?” Richie smirks down at him, patting the top of his head like a child.

When Eddie flashes him a death glare, he yanks his hand back quick as if he expects Eddie to bite his hand off like a dog with anger issues. 

“First of all, I’m 5”10, Jackass. And how many times do I have to tell you that’s like average height for most of the world?!”

Richie smirks, opening his mouth ready to shoot back when Eddie moves away before he even gets the chance. Still, he watches with a smug smile as Eddie approaches the tree, and cranks his neck up to peer at the top. He is fully aware that Richie is watching him, making him even more determined to prove his point that he is more than capable enough of reaching.

As he straightens himself up, he stands on the tips of his toes and stretches his arms out as far as they can reach, using one hand to grasp the branch and the other to try and position the star.

His shirt rides up as he does, and Richie can’t help his eyes that bounce down to the soft looking area of skin that peaks out. He swallows hard at the sight, taking in the trail of hair leading down from his belly button to below his belt.

Luckily, Eddie is too distracted with the task at hand to notice Richie’s blatant staring, tongue darting out between his pink lips in careful concentration, eyebrows also dipping slightly in frustration.

Richie lets Eddie struggle for a couple more seconds. Mostly because he finds it adorable at how tiny he looks next to the tree, and mainly because he can’t get over the sight of that perfect happy trail he’d kill to run his hands over. 

Eddie can feel his arms begin to tingle and fall asleep leaving him no choice but to give up and return his hands to his sides in defeat.

“Awwwe Ed’s” Richie starts, inching closer towards him. “It was a good effort”

“Fuck you. I’m getting a stool”

But before Eddie can take a step, Richie has his arms secured tight around his hips and is boosting him up into the air like a cheesy Hallmark movie.

“Richie! Shit!” his body is tense beneath his friends tight grip, and one of his hands shoots out to cling onto a part of the tree for safe measures. “I swear if you drop me – “

“Relax, Ed’s. I got you”

Although, to be quite honest, Richie did not have him as much as he had hoped he would. 27 years ago, it had been easy to hoist Eddie up. He could fling him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes, Eddie blushing bright and flailing in failed attempts to get down.

They were in their early 40’s now though, and while he wished he could sweep Eddie off his feet like a knight in shining armour, his back had other plans.

“You might want to hurry though”

The topper has some weight to it, and Eddie struggles to keep it balanced straight at first. He bends and pushes at it until it’s finally in the perfect position. Eddie smiles then, pleased with himself and taps gently at the hands still hoisting him up by the waist. 

“Alright, you can set me down now”

Richie does so gently, and the pair exhale a breath – Eddie from the sudden rush and unexplainable butterflies, and Richie from the soreness in his lower back.

Eddie can feel the heat of Richie pressed up behind him but makes no effort to move. Richie is peering into the back of his head, suddenly aware of how close their bodies are, and the pair of hands still gripped on Eddie’s waist. He wants to rub his thumb along the area of skin he saw peaking out earlier, to hug him tight from behind and bury his face into his hair and breathe in that fresh scent he’s already memorized.

Instead he hesitantly let’s go causing Eddie to shiver slightly at the loss of contact. Eddie turns around to face the taller man who is still so close, staring up into soft eyes.

“See?” Richie moves to pull a pine needle from out of his hair “teamwork”.

“And how’s your back?”

“Let’s just say you’re going to have to pass me those ornaments because I am not bending down to pick them up”

Eddie shakes his head “Idiot”, but he is smiling.

Putting up a Christmas tree had never been something he’d done with Myra, nor did the idea appeal to him at the time. It was Richie’s company that made all the difference in the world as the two hung their ornaments, Richie humming Mariah Careys “All I Want for Christmas Is You” the entire time.

And Eddie had never been happier.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Come on, Eds! It’ll be funny!” Richie is wearing his best pouty face, hands clutched onto the thick green Christmas sweater he had picked out for Eddie in a size small. As soon he had heard about the Loser’s reunion that Bev had arranged at a local bar on Christmas Eve, he had spent well over an hour shopping for the perfect matching Christmas sweaters.

“You know I hate that material, it’s so thick and itchy” Eddie winced as he rolled the thick cotton between his fingers, testing it out.

An arm drapes around his shoulders, leading him towards the bedroom as the rambling continues. “So just wear something underneath, dude”.

Eddies sighs. “You’re not going to stop until I put it on, huh?”

Richie once again shoves the sweater towards his chest, and with one more disappointed glance, Eddie is accepting the sweater with a frown.

“Fine, I’ll wear it. But only because I’m not a dick and I know you spent money on them”.

“Awww Ed’s thats-”

“Stop calling me Eds”

“ _Eddie_ ” Richie tries again, drawing the word out with a roll of his eyes. “I was going to say that’s why I gave you the green ‘Nice’ sweater, and I get the red “Naughty” one. He wiggles his eyebrows at the word naughty, looking like a complete teenager that Eddie has to physically restrain himself from doing a face palm.

“Are you sure it’s not because you wanted an excuse to walk around telling everyone you’ve been a naughty boy this year?”

Richie scoffs at that.

“Alright Eduardo” he gently nudges at hiss shoulders, shoving him inside the room. “Andale! Let’s go! I don’t want us to be late”

When Eddie is ready, glancing at himself once in the mirror, he opens the door to find Richie still standing in the same position waiting for him. He emerges from the room frowning, but Richie’s big smile and enthusiasm to smother Eddie with a series of “cute, cute, cute!” makes it difficult to hold onto that frown for long.

“We literally look like a tacky couple now” Eddie points out. Although he wasn’t sure that was entirely a bad thing. Richie and him practically acted like a couple anyways. He loved Richie’s lightheartedness and ability to turn everything into a joke, even if he’d never admit to it, but sometimes he wished Richie would be a bit more serious so he could tell if he felt the same way or not.

The second they stepped into the bar; all eyes seem to turn to them, and Eddie had to fight the urge not to turn right back around and run. Luckily, the rest of the losers spot them quick and wave them over towards their booth.

The bar is decked out in all sorts of festive decorations, Christmas music blaring on the speakers instead of the usual pop hits. Richie had spent a lot of time at bars after the groups first reunion almost 2 months ago. It was overwhelming – to say the least – experiencing the emotions he had felt 27 years ago, and realising in an instant that they had somehow always remained with him despite not realizing.

Eddie had looked at him when he smacked the gong, and Richie couldn’t tell whether the vibrations through his body had come from the sound waves or the rush of adrenaline he felt staring back at him.

He still looked like the same old Eddie. Small, neat, and certainly cute.

And cute was definitely the way he described him tonight, walking by his side with his arm occasionally brushing against his own. Thinking about Eddie’s words from earlier, there was no doubt that some strangers thought they were a thing.

“Now that Is adorable!” Bev shouts when they reach the table. She practically bounces from her seat, arms stretched to greet her friends in a big hug.

“Richie made me put it on” Eddie tells her, smiling at the rest of the losers before shimmying inside of the booth beside Mike.

Richie climbs in beside Eddie, the booth a tight squeeze for all 3 of them “You know, Eds” he pauses, half-expecting a “ _don’t call me that, jackass_ ”, but is surprised when it doesn’t come. “You can at least pretend that you like it”.

Eddie turns to look at him, cranking his neck at the close proximity, and plays along. “I love it soooo much, Rich. Thank you sooo much. You’re the best”. His tone is sarcastic, but Richie is happy anyways as he turns his attention to the drink menu.

The rest of the Losers are also dressed in Christmas sweaters and seem to be a couple drinks in already. Bill is across from Mike, Ben beside him, and Bev on the outside across from Richie. With everyone caught up in the busyness of their own lives, reunions like this have been so far and few.

It feels good to be back together again.

As Richie and Eddie wait for the beers they ordered, the group waste no time getting straight to the questions.

“So, how’s it been having each other as roomies? Bill eyes them from beyond his glass, sipping from his beer. 

Richie and Eddie had anticipated an array of questions from their friends. The group had only briefly heard about the divorce and move in over text, not knowing the full context of the situation. So it was to be expected that they’d be curious.

“Yeah, it’s been like what, 2 months? I’m surprised you guys have made it this long without killing one another” Ben chimes in.

Bev lets out a chuckle as she plays with the straw in her drink. “Ohhh is that what we’re calling it these days”

The nudge that Ben gives her does not go unnoticed, followed by the small “oops” that slips out of her mouth right after.

Eddie shifts in his seat, choosing to pretend he didn’t hear any of that while awkwardly rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans. Richie, eyes wide, is also speechless and suddenly very grateful for the waiter who arrives with their drinks.

He takes one, two, five chugs of his beer before turning his attention back to his friends.

“Yeah, things are great. It’s actually been kind of nice having someone else in the house to keep me company. Even if he is a pain in the ass sometimes”

Eddie wants to add to the conversation, but how does he even begin to explain that he’s never been happier in his whole life? To finally live with someone who adds to your life, rather than drain you completely. With Myra, there was never any excitement. It was always the same, dull routine everyday. Wake up, go to work, spend ‘quality’ time with his wife – which was usually sitting on the couch watching whatever soap opera she was into at the time – then go to bed and repeat times infinity. But with Richie, every day felt fresh and exciting. Even the days when they would never leave the house and opt for ordering Chinese food and watching Netflix till 2 in the morning.

Instead, he nods his head and protests the fact that Richie is an even bigger pain in the ass for always leaving the toilet seat up.

As the night goes on, Richie can feel himself making his way past the tipsy point. The bar grows hot and humid with the large crowd, and so he rolls up the sleeves of his thick sweater.

Beside him, Eddie is three beers in and unlike Richie, is cutting himself off from anymore. He has his sleeves already rolled up because he had anticipated it to be warm in the bar, and as Richie moves to grab a hold of his drink their arms brush against one another.

Eddie holds his breath, silently begging his body not to react, but inevitably fails at the heat of Richie’s skin against his. Every hair on his arm rises and he quickly shoves his arms into his lap in hopes Richie didn’t notice.

“Eddie?” Bev diverts his attention, pulling him away from his momentary internal panic. Mike and Bill have been fairly distracted in their own conversations all night, leaving just the four to chat amongst themselves. “I know that it wouldn’t make sense for Richie to be wearing the nice sweater – “at this, Richie scoffs and Bev pauses to quickly stick her tongue out at him. “But don’t you think you should be wearing a naughty sweater too?

“Oh! What’s the saying?” Ben snaps his finger, trying to come up with the words. “Two wrongs make a right. So, maybe two naughty’s make a nice?”

“I don’t think it works like that, sweetie”

“Yeah, _sweetie_ ” Richie imitates Bev, not even surprised when she flashes him the finger in response. “That logic only applies in the bedroom”

He doesn’t even think about how the words would be interpreted until he says it. It only hits him that it sounds like he was referring to him and Eddie after the fact, and he instantly regrets his lewd sense of humor and the fact he let himself chug so many beers in such a short period of time.

Why couldn’t he have paced himself like Eddie?

Luckily, Mike and Bill are too engrossed with one another to have noticed, but Ben and Bev sit smiling suspiciously at the pair as Richie downs the rest of his beer, using the glass as a temporary barrier to hide behind. He glances at Eddie from the corner of his eyes to gauge his reaction and is almost certain he has gone as red as him.

If his friends hadn’t been suspecting something had been going on between Richie and Eddie before, they were certainly thinking it now. It’s not like anything serious was – but there was no denying the domestic routines and occasional stares across the room that seemed to occur more frequently between them since Eddie’s divorce. An unaddressed tension always looming in the air.

Bev and Ben exchange a look as if they are having a mental conversation. One in which Ben must not agree with as he is suddenly shaking his head back and forth until Bev speaks out anyways, despite his clear protesting.

“Okay, I can’t not ask. And I know you and Eddie have always been close since we were little, but with the sudden moving in, and the way you guys are, and the matching sweaters” Amidst his panic, Eddie manages to shoot Richie a look of “ _I told you about the sweaters!”_

“Are you guys dating and just not telling us?”

Richie’s spent his whole life concealing the truth. So of course, his quickest instinct is to panic and cover up his true feelings.

“What?” he laughs so naturally he almost fools himself. “Eddie and I are definitely not dating. He just moved in with me because he had no where to go after the divorce and I had lots of space in my apartment, so I didn’t mind”

“Oh?” Bev doesn’t seem to buy it, but she doesn’t push any further either.

“You guys are quick to jump to conclusions, huh?” It’s a rhetorical question, as Richie awkwardly sips his drink trying to settle his screaming mind. He is so wrapped up in putting up a front that for once, he doesn’t even consider how Eddie might interpret his words.

In fact, Eddie is completely silent, staring down at his empty drink. He knew that they obviously weren’t dating. They hadn’t even talked about it before, which slightly irritated Eddie because he wished they would. With the way Richie seemed to dismiss the topic so quickly, had he interpreted all the signs wrong? The lingering touches and longing stares that he couldn’t get enough of. Were they just nothing to Richie?

“I’m going to the washroom real quick” Eddie speaks the words faster than usual, which is really fast considering he normally talks at the speed of light. “Can I get through, Rich?”

“Oh – yeah here” Richie sets his drink back down and stands up in a hurry, letting Eddie shuffle out of the booth before retaking his seat.

“Ill be right back” he tells them and disappears into the crowd leaving Richie to overthink the way he normally does when alcohol is flowing through his bloodstream.

Was it likely that Eddie actually had to pee? He did almost make it through three beers, and he was known for having a tiny bladder. Or was it something he had said? Also very likely. 

Richie fiddles with his phone case, tapping the plastic impatiently until he can’t wait any longer and is standing up before he changes his mind.

“I also need to pee”

When he looks down at Bev, she is still smiling at him with that same taunting smile she has been giving him all night, and Richie knows she knows.

“And would you stop smiling at us like that!” he huffs before stomping off in Eddie’s direction.

Richie maneuvers through the crowd of sweaty people, the alcohol making him feel a little lightheaded by the time he’s reached the bathroom doors. He pushes it open, half expecting it to be full of drunk people emptying their full bladders. Instead, he is surprised to see only Eddie standing at the sink splashing what looks like the coldest water setting on his face.

He turns the water off, and his eyes meet Richie’s in the mirror who is nervously adjusting his glasses on his face.

“You okay, Eds?” he asks, inching forwards as Eddie dabs at his face with a paper towel. “Are you not having a good time?”

Eddie turns around to face him, leaning back against the sink for support. In all honesty, he didn’t know how he felt. The best way to describe it was a mix of confusion and hurt, not knowing whether his frustration was directed at Richie for giving him mixed signals, or at himself for potentially making up some fantasy that was never actually there.

“I’m fine” _That was a lie._ He was already not off to a good start.

He tosses the crumpled paper towel towards the garbage can by the door, missing by a long shot, and Richie has to fight the urge not to comment on it.

“Actually… I’m glad you followed me. I think we need to talk about something”

Richie thinks he knows where Eddie’s going.

“Of course, what about?” he asks anyways.

Eddie’s nervous, and while he knows Richie’s has had a lot to drink, he also knows it isn’t nearly enough to not have caught on to the obvious implications being made by the rest of the group.

Eddie also seemed to have forgotten that he was opening up this conversation in the middle of a public bathroom when some guy with a serious beard abruptly flings the door open making him jump a bit. They are silent as he walks past them as if they’re not even there, fiddling with his zipper at the urinal.

Eddie opens his mouth, ready to continue, but has to close it again at the sound of the guy peeing only a few feet beside them. He can also see that Richie is trying to hold back a smile, clearly amused at the situation. Eddie just shakes his head and crosses his arm, waiting until the man finishes with a zip and exits the washroom leaving them back alone. 

“Ok, he didn’t even wash his hands. That’s fucking gross” Eddie comments, shaking his head in disgust before diverting his attention back to Richie.

“Yeah, so maybe a shitty bar bathroom isn’t the best place to have a conversation”

That may be true, but Eddie can’t wait any longer and is spilling what’s on his mind anyways. “Back there when Bev asked if we were together, you seemed offended. And I know we aren’t together, but it just threw me off”

Richie’s stomach knots, not knowing what to even say. Of course he noticed the way Bev and Ben in specific have been questioning them all night. He hated that he still held onto that fear from childhood. Of everyone discovering that he was gay, and judging him for it. He definitely could have handled the situation better, but instead he panicked without even considering how Eddie felt.

To be fair, he didn’t even consider Eddie being upset as an outcome because he had yet to believe that Eddie would even feel something for him anyways.

Eddie sighs staring at Richie who looks like deer in a headlight. “Sometimes the way you act with me at home makes me feel like you have feelings for me too”

**_Me too?!_** Richie thinks, mouth dropping open. Was Eddie in love with him too and he had been oblivious this entire time? He thinks about the fact that the first place Eddie went after his divorce was straight to him. The flirting that had been out of control between them lately. The way that Eddie would lean into him when they were sitting close on the couch, arms touching and buried under blankets. Could Eddie really feel the same way?

He wants to tell him that he isn’t imagining it, that he’s just an idiot for panicking back there and making him feel otherwise, but Eddie is past his limit of patience and is instead feeling embarrassed for even bringing it up.

“Or maybe the alcohol is just messing with my head man. I’m probably seeing shit that’s not even there, I’m sorry”

And just like that, Eddie is moving past him and out the way he came in. It takes the sound of the door closing behind him for Richie to finally snap out of it and move. There was no way either of them were going to enjoy themselves the rest of the night if Richie let the conversation end there.

He moves quick, pushing the door open with urgency and almost knocking a guy over in the process. He manages to catch up with Eddie at the end of the bathroom hallway.

“Eddie. Wait” his hand is on his wrist, holding on tight as if he might slip away from him. The bar is dark, their only source of light coming from the tacky Christmas lights hung up everywhere, and this somehow gives Richie the confidence to speak.

“I like that you moved in with me and that we’re as close as we were as kids. Maybe even closer, if that’s possible. I enjoy spending time with you, and I don’t care if we get mistaken as a couple. Honestly, I like it when we do. It makes me feel honoured that someone would even consider me in your league”

Even with the poor lighting, Richie can see the roller coaster of expressions that flash across Eddies face. His wide eyes soften, and his mouth slightly opens to keep up with his rapid breathing.

“And you’re right about everything” Richie continues. “You’re not imagining it, Eds. I like you, a lot actually… since when we were kids. I just always felt like I had to hide it because I was ashamed about it back then, and it’s hard for me to even shake that feeling now”

Eddie feels both relief and sadness from hearing Richie’s words. He had been married to a woman, and he had never even stopped to consider that Richie may think that having feelings for him was out of the question.

He is looking up at Richie whose glasses catch the light and create a small reflection of red and green, but Eddie can still make out the fondness in his eyes despite the fear.

Eddie swallows hard and opens his mouth, but the crowd of strangers growing loud around them has him losing his thought process. Richie diverts his attention to one of the girls in the crowd who is pointing at something above them, and when he follows her stare his heart somehow manages to beat even faster than it already was.

Eddie, who’s wrist is still secured in Richie’s hand, also looks up at what is clearly a mistletoe hanging right at the end of the bathroom corridor.

The whole things seemed super cliché and almost surreal. Eddie had known mistletoes to be some cheap tactic movies would use to make an already cheesy movie even cheesier.

The meaning of it didn’t even hit him until the crowd around them was suddenly chanting “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” and only then did he pull his gaze from the mistletoe above him, pausing briefly to shyly glance at Richie before opting to direct his stare at the ground.

Richie, who was standing there still as a statue, was going over the options in his head. He could A) Not kiss Eddie and earn a bunch of hardcore “Boos!” from the audience. B) Take the easy way out and kiss him on the cheek. Or C) No longer be the coward he think’s he is and kiss the person he’s imagined kissing millions of times since he was twelve.

Eddie hasn’t run away yet, or pulled away from Richie’s grasps which he takes as a good sign. So, he tells himself _It’s just a quick peck, Richie. Nothing to it,_ holds his breath, and dives in before he second guesses himself. He has to use his other hand to tilt Eddie’s chin up, and when their lips meet all he can think about is how soft of lips Eddie has, and how good they feel finally pressed up against his own. Eddie is caught off guard at the speed in which Richie’s lips are on his making him slightly lag behind, but then he is kissing back and _just a peck_ is no longer something Richie cares to leave it at. He opens his mouth and breathes Eddie in, pushing back with more urgency. His head is spinning, and he doesn’t think its because of the alcohol this time.

Eddie moves the hand holding onto his wrist to his hips and a shiver shoots through him at the feeling of Richie’s fingers digging into his waist. Amidst the cheering, someone whistles, and Richie and Eddie are cruelly reminded of where they are.

Richie takes a step back the same time Eddie does, readjusting his glasses that have slipped down his nose while Eddie runs a shaky hand through his hair. 

It’s awkward, to say the least, and neither one of them no what to say. The rest of the losers are probably wondering if they’re ever returning at this point, and Richie feels some relief at the fact that they wouldn’t have been able to see what just happened. Especially because if they did, they would never let them live it down, and they still needed to finish their conversation.

“We should get back” Eddie breaks the silence, and Richie nods.

They would have to talk about this. Just not right now.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Leaving the house without a jacket was not their smartest idea. By the time they made it back home, running from taxi to the apartment entrance, they were frozen and covered in snow. It looked as if it would be a white Christmas after all.

They took off their boots in silence, a new feeling of tension between them now that they were alone for the first time since the kiss. A kiss that neither one of them had been able to forget about. Riche watched the snow in Eddie’s hair melt as they both dusted their wet sweaters and avoided eye contact.

It was warmer inside, but not warm enough, and Eddie felt even worse standing in his damp clothes.

“I’m going to go change” he announces, finally meeting Richie’s eyes for the first time since they left the bar.

Richie looked worried for a second, as if Eddie was running off to his room and calling it a night already. They had left the bar earlier than most of their friends leaving some time to stay up and talk.

“It’s only 10. You’re not going to sleep already?”

“No, I’m just freshening up and then ill be back out”. Eddie pauses when he gets to his bedroom door, looking over his shoulder and back at Richie. “We should probably talk about….” he trails off, not knowing how to finish. The kiss? Us? That I’m in love with you, and you may be in love with me?

But Richie knows what he is talking about.

“Yeah… we probably should”

Eddie nods his head, allowing himself a couple more seconds to stare at Richie in the center of the room. He somehow looks out of place standing in the middle of his own apartment, hair a wet mess against his forehead and cheeks still pink from the cold outside. Eddie gives him one last small smile, and then he is slipping inside the room to change into some dry and comfortable clothes.

Richie retreats to his own room to do the same, slipping on some cotton PJ’s and a white t-shirt.

He somehow makes it back to the living room before Eddie, pulling the curtain open to admire the heavy snow falling in the night sky. The balcony lights reflect off of every snowflake, and Richie decides to go full cozy on this Christmas eve. He grabs blankets and pillows from the closet and tosses them on the couch. He flicks on the fireplace installed on the wall below the TV. He flicks on “Home Alone”, mainly because it’s on almost every channel and he can’t be bothered to find something else.

Eddie comes out as Richie is making his way over to the kitchen, and he almost forgets what he is even going there to do when he catches sight of him in his flannel pajama pants and black t-shirt. It still surprises Richie how everything seems to look 10x cuter when its on him.

“What are you doing?” Eddie asks, moving towards the pile of blankets and pillow Richie had arranged on the couch for them.

He remembers now. “Making us some hot chocolate”

It’s weird, but Eddie can’t remember the last time he’s had a hot chocolate, and the mention of one right now sounds great to him.

“I could go for a hot chocolate” he approves of the idea, flicking on the lamp and turning off the main lights to create a cozier feel.

Richie watches him from behind the counter, cozying up under the blankets, and suddenly feels a chill standing so far away. He wants nothing more than to snuggle up under those blankets with him.

“Do you want Marshmallows?” he calls out, moving so quick he is already pouring them into Eddie’s cup before he gets an answer.

Luckily, that answer was yes.

“Do I want marshmallows?” Eddie repeats the question, watching as Richie balances the mugs in his hands. “Of course I want them, what kind of question is that?”

“I don’t know, dude. Your mom always gave you shit for eating them as a kid”

Richie slowly makes his way towards Eddie on the couch, holding out the mug for him. Eddie shifts up straight on the sofa to take it from him being extra careful not to spill. As he grabs it, their hands brush, and Richie almost drops his own mug from the contact.

Eddie leans back bringing his knees to his chest and feels a spark of butterflies when Richie chooses to sit directly beside him. They cover themselves with blankets and try not to focus on the distracting heat radiating off of one another.

Richie takes a sip of his hot chocolate first and manages to burn the tip of his tongue instantly, silently cursing himself. Of course Eddie notices the sudden jerk back, and shakes his head in disapproval.

“I swear you’re still 5 sometimes. This is why you blow on it first”

Richie touches the tip of his tongue with his finger, wincing at the slight burn, and then turns to examine Eddie who is following his own direction and blowing on his drink. His cheeks puff out slightly as he does, lips soft and pink, and Richie is already forgetting about his tingling tongue.

He watches in a trance as Eddie continues blowing cool air on the steam that rises and then slowly tilts his mug back to take a sip. Unlike Richie, he doesn’t burn himself, and the flavour of cocoa fills his taste buds.

“That’s pretty good” he hums in approval, smirking over at Richie.

“Yeah?” This time Richie follows Eddie’s lead, blowing on the hot liquid.

“Yeah. Thanks Rich”

Besides the TV that is turned down low, it’s quiet in the apartment. Even Richie’s neighbors who are normally quite loud are no where to be heard. Everyone was probably spending Christmas Eve with loved ones, and as the pair sat side by side, sipping on their hot cocoa, Richie realized that he wasn’t unlike them. He too was spending time with someone he loved. Someone who deserved to know exactly how loved he was.

He takes one final sip of his drink. “Eds?”. His voice is soft, moving to set the mug down on the side table beside him.

“Mhm” Eddie mumbled around the liquid in his mouth.

Richie grabs the end of the blanket and pulls it higher up around him. “Do you want to talk about earlier?”

Eddie feels both relief and anxiety at his question because despite not being good with talking about feelings, he can’t seem to get that kiss from earlier out of his head. And he certainly can’t stop thinking about how it would feel like if they did it again.

So he nods his head and also places his mug on the side table, snuggling under the blanket and even closer to Richie.

“Can I ask you something?” Eddie says, looking down at his own hands. Richie follows his shy stare and has to fight the urge not to pull them into his own.

“Of course. Anything.”

“If you’ve had feelings for me since we were kids, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

It’s a question that Richie knows the answer too. “ _Because I was scared”._ But as he goes over the words in his head, he realizes there was more to it than just that.

“I didn’t think that you felt the same. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, and I was scared because I didn’t know how the rest of the group would react with finding out I was gay”.

Unlike Richie, Eddie doesn’t fight the desire to slide his hand into Richie’s lap and lace them together. They both stare at their fingers that linger against one another for a moment, the feeling light enough to send goosebumps up Richie’s arm until they finally settle into an intertwined hold. 

Eddie shuffles in a bit closer, rubbing up against Richie’s arm, legs touching beneath the blankets and Richie’s heart swells at the intimacy. They haven’t nestled in this close with one another since they would squeeze into the same hammock together as children.

“I wish you would have told me sooner, Rich”. Eddie rubs his thumb against a rough patch of skin on the back of Richie’s hand.

“Me too”

With how nice Eddie feels pressed up against his side, the warmth of their bodies mixing together, Richie can’t help but dwell on all the wasted time they could have spent together doing exactly this. Now he really doesn’t want to waste another second.

Riche turns to look at Eddie, and they are so close he can feel every exhale he makes tickling his skin. “Can I kiss you again?”. His voice is just above a whisper, and Eddie shivers at the thought because this is exactly what he’s been waiting for.

He keeps his hand in Richie’s, using the other to bring up to his face and gently stroke his cheek.

“Please do” he says, but the words are already being spoken against lips that are brushing against Richie’s because he is impatient and leaning in.

Richie surges forward then, and all of the nerves they had been feeling are replaced with a deep need instead. It feels more intimate kissing without a crowd, and somehow even better than the last time. Though, Richie doesn’t think he could ever get used to kissing Eddie. His mouth is hot against his own, and the angle is slightly awkward making the kiss sloppy. Richie brings a hand up to rest flat against Eddie’s chest, and the smaller man soon finds himself being directed backwards. His lips never leave Richie’s, even as his back is pressed flat against the couch, and Richie kisses him more insistently. The weight of his body on top of him helps sate the desire to be close.

The next thing he knows, Richie is readjusting his lips to his neck, and Eddie can’t help the loud shaky breath he exhales into the room. His hands thread through Richie’s hair, keeping him there as he cranks his neck back to give him more room.

Admittingly so, Eddie thinks he could probably get off on just this alone. He experimentally shifts his hips up, and god, it’s all so overwhelming.

Now he really wishes that they’d have done this sooner.

“You’re such an asshole” Eddie is breathless, surprising even himself with how shaky his voice sounds.

At this, Richie pulls away so he can stare down at him, and Eddie takes in the sight of his bright red lips shining from the spit there.

“What did I do?”

“It’s about what you didn’t do, dummy. We literally could have been doing this so much sooner”

Riche shuffles above him, trying to adjust himself more comfortably.

“Last time I checked; it takes two people to make out. You literally could have made a move on me fir-“

Eddie shuts him up by seizing him by the collar and yanks him back down against his lips, smiling smugly into the kiss.

Shutting Richie up like this was definitely something he could get used too.

So much for finishing that hot chocolate.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are appreciated :)


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